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This letter was printed in Business Week magazine in response to an article about Big Pharma advertising campaigns that promote Flomax and Detrol, among other bladder-related prescriptions.


Business Week Magazine
APRIL 2, 2007
Readers Report

A Side Effect Of Sleep Apnea

"When the going gets tough..." (News & Insights, Mar. 12) prompts me to share my experience for the possible assistance of others.

It is dangerous to suggest that "everyone knows" that frequent male urination is prostate-related. My "normally" enlarged 60-year-old prostate turned out not to be the cause of my getting up frequently at night. It was my previously untreated sleep apnea. Apnea causes low, sometimes very low, blood oxygen levels, and this triggers serious kidney hyperactivity to compensate for the desaturation. I treated my apnea, and now my large prostate and I sleep through the night.

Doug Ellice
Gambrills, Md.

This is a very useful tool in casually screening your pals, particularly 20-something and 30-something pals (who are unlikely to have prostate problems), for OSA via a series of questions.

In addition to the usual "are you tired a lot?" and "do you snore?" you can add, "do you get up to pee at night relatively regularly?"

I've already got one friend to go for a sleep study, partly because of that extra question. He was 22 and was getting up to pee at least twice a night. He had OSA. He's treated now.

Add that question to your toolbox when talking with potential undiagnosed OSA sufferers!

I have to say that I agree with Liam. While there are those who have other physiological reasons to get up and void, I find that if I can stop the arrousals, then I can stop to multiple trips to the restroom, most of the time.

Back in my younger days I worked as a Paramedic doing 24 hour shifts. When I got a call in the middle of the night, the first thing that I had to do was run to the bathroom and void. Never had any problems unless we got a call. Had to be quick, as our standard was to be on the road within 3 minutes of the call.

Now, I do Sleep Studies and I see it every week. I get some one in for a titration who states that they usually are up 2-4 times a night to pee. In the morning they are shocked that they actually slept thru the night.

Here is another thought to ponder.... for those who pee when they wake up. Hannah who is eight years old and has been potty trained for years, began wetting her bed in the last few months, and she sleeps through it!!! I thought there was a connection and started questioning it too. Now her sleep study did not show very low oxygen levels and her blood pressure seems fine(she is evaluated frequently due to a previous open heart surgery)but none the less, she still wets the bed at least once a week.I am really looking forward to starting her CPAP therapy so I won't have to do so much laundry!